| Hara Castle | |
|---|---|
原城 | |
| Minamishimabara, NagasakiJapan | |
 Ruins of Hara Castle in 2004 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | hirayama-styleJapanese castle |
| Controlled by | Arima clan |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Condition | Archaeological and designated national historical site; castle ruins |
| Location | |
  Hara Castle  Hara Castle | |
| Coordinates | 32°37′59.9″N130°15′23.3″E / 32.633306°N 130.256472°E /32.633306; 130.256472 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1496 |
| In use | Sengoku -Edo Period |
 | |
TheHara Castle (原城,Hara-jō) was aSengoku periodJapanese castle cemetery located in theMinami-Arima neighbourhood of city ofMinamishimabara,Nagasaki PrefectureJapan. Its ruins were designated aNational Historic Site of Japan in 1938.[1]
Hara Castle is located in the southern part of theShimabara Peninsula. It was built in 1496 byArima Takazumi on a hill jutting out into theAriake Sea as a subsidiary castle ofHinoe Castle. At the end of the 16th century,Arima Harunobu, who had gained knowledge of the castles of theKorean Peninsula andHizen Nagoya Castle during theJapanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), rebuilt the castle as his main stronghold.Jesuit records have confirmed that at least the main citadel, complete with stone walls, was built between 1599 and 1604.The work at this time transformed it into a castle of theAzuchi-Momoyama period with atiled roof, and the main, second, third, Amakusa, and outward citadels. The stone walls, square moat, and foundations of thetenshu tower that remain today are from this renovation. After theArima clan was transferred toNobeoka Domain inHyuga Province in 1616,Matsukura Shigemasa entered Hinoe Castle, but due to the influence of the "One Castle per Province Law", he abandoned the inconvenient Hinoe Castle and builtShimabara Castle as his stronghold. At this time, Hara Castle was also abandoned, and although some the stone walls were cannibalised and some structures were relocated for the construction of Shimabara, but it is believed that the stone walls and many buildings (including its massive main gate and severalyagura turrets were left behind. Therefore, during theShimabara Rebellion from 1637 to 1638, rebels were able to successfully barricade themselves in the abandoned Hara Castle for many months against the forces of theTokugawa shogunate. After the Shimabara Rebellion, the shogunate demolished the stone walls and other structures remaining at the site of the castle.[2]
During variousarchaeological excavations on the site, the remains of rebels who either fell in battle or were executed afterwards, lead bullets, rosaries and crucifixes were unearthed.[2] In the 2000 excavation, the remains of one of the largest castle gates in Japan were confirmed. The gate was almost a square, measuring 90 by 80 meters east to west. The foundations of the building believed to have been the residence ofAmakusa Shiro was also identified. There are remains of an escape route on the Ariake Sea side of the castle, which was investigated by local historians after it collapsed in heavy rains in 1963, but it is not known whether the escape route was built when the castle was built or dug during the Shimabara Rebellion.
On April 6, 2017, the ruins of Hara Castle were selected as one of theContinued Top 100 Japanese Castles in 2017.[3]
On June 30, 2018 Hara Castle along with 11 othersites linked to Catholic persecution in Japan, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.[4][5]
The castle site is about 28 kilometers southwest ofShimabarakō Station on theShimabara Railway Line.
Media related toHara Castle at Wikimedia Commons
